Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Judiciary Committee

HB 1298

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Background:

Parties establishing or modifying a child support order must fill out the child support order summary report form. The parties must attach the form to the child support worksheets filed with the court. The clerk sends the forms to the Division of Child Support (DCS) at the Department of Social and Health Services, and the DCS prepares a report using the data from these forms. The DCS report is to be used for reviewing the state's child support laws. Federal law requires states to review their child support laws every four years.

In 2007 the Legislature directed the DCS to convene a work group every four years to conduct these reviews. As part of the 2007 legislation, the Legislature required the Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee (JLARC) to analyze the data from the summary report forms.

The JLARC found that the information received from these forms is incomplete, may not be accurate, and is unusable for purposes of the review required by federal law. In its final report, the JLARC recommends that the Legislature eliminate the summary report forms, specify that the DCS should use data from the actual child support orders to compile its report, and specify that the work groups conducting the reviews use the DCS report based on data collected from the orders.

Summary of Bill:

References to the child support summary order report forms are removed from the statutes. The DCS must use data compiled from child support orders, and the work groups conducting the quadrennial reviews must review the DCS report.